Mixed rounds for New Zealanders

DUBLIN, OHIO: Ryan Fox has shot his worst round on the PGA Tour this year to start the Memorial Tournament in Ohio, putting him in danger of missing his second cut of the season.

The world number 41 carded a fiveover 77 which included a double bogey, five bogeys and two birdies.

Fox dropped three shots through the opening five holes, but looked to get his round back on track with consecutive birdies at the parthree eighth and the parfour ninth to be oneover through the front nine.

However, another bogey to start the back nine followed and there was a further dropped shot at the parfour 14th after a wayward drive. He then had a double bogey at the 17th.

The fiveover round put Fox in a share of 95th place, 10 shots back from leader Davis Riley of the US.

Fox has had strong showings in recent weeks on the PGA Tour, with top 25 finishes at the PGA Championship at the Charles Schwab Challenge. He is expected to return home after this week’s tournament to spend time with his family, including newborn daughter Margot, before the US Open in a fortnight in Los Angeles.

Elsewhere, fellow Kiwi Daniel Hillier also had an off day, with a sevenover 80 in the opening round of the Porsche Open in Hamburg.

Lydia Ko though started strong at the LPGA Tour’s Americas Open in New Jersey.

Ko fired an opening round 69 to sit at threeunder in a share of sixth place — four shots off the lead. Her round included an eagle on the parfour third.

Twotime NCAA champion Rose Zhang made her professional debut at the tournament and gave the LPGA Tour what was expected and needed, a solid opening round that put her in position to wow women’s golf.

The 20 year old from Stanford, who has dominated the women’s amateur rankings for more than two years, shot a twounder 70 at Liberty National in the shadow of New York. The Californian was five shots off the early lead held by Lauren Hartlage.

Aditi Ashok, the first player from India on the tour, was at 67 —